The objective is a continuous faithful representation of a uniform pro-p group in some . The proof proceeds from the intrinsic Lie lattice to a small matrix group, then extends the resulting representation to all of . This last step matters: a representation defined only on an open subgroup does not yet establish linearity of the original group.
Let be the Lie algebra of a uniform pro-p group and put . The uniform-group/Lie-lattice correspondence identifies the group law on with BCH. The substantial finite-dimensional Lie-theoretic input is the Ado theorem: every finite-dimensional Lie algebra over a characteristic-zero field admits a faithful finite-dimensional representation. Apply it to obtain
An Adjoint representation would not suffice here, since it kills the centre; Ado supplies injectivity even in central directions.
Choose a p-adic lattice spanning . Since has finitely many lattice generators, their representing matrices have bounded denominators. There is therefore an integer such that
On this matrix lattice the series and converge and are inverse. For example , so the valuations of the exponential terms tend to infinity with this choice of ; the logarithm terms do as well. They take values in and in respectively. The formal identity holds for the convergent series.
Under the correspondence, has Lie lattice and is an open characteristic subgroup. Define
where denotes the identification of with . A Lie homomorphism preserves BCH, so the exponential identity proves . If , the matrix logarithm gives ; faithfulness of gives . Thus is a continuous faithful integral representation of .
To extend it, take the module
Values on a transversal of determine , so is a free module over of rank . These functions are continuous, since on each open coset they are given by the continuous representation . Define . The equivariance condition is preserved, and . In a transversal basis each is a permutation of blocks followed by matrices from , so it belongs to and depends continuously on .
Faithfulness can be checked directly. If , right multiplication moves the coset to a different coset, so moves a function supported on one block and cannot be the identity. If and , evaluation at gives for every , whereas equivariance gives . Since is arbitrary, , and hence . Therefore
Compactness of makes this continuous injection a homeomorphism onto its closed image. This proves the linearity of a uniform pro-p group for the full group, including its centre, and explains why taking a sufficiently small power lattice permits matrix integration before finite-index induction restores the whole group.
Let be the standard complex structure on , let be the standard symplectic form, and let be the Euclidean inner product. They satisfy
The two-out-of-three property for unitary structures says that a real linear map preserving any two of these structures preserves the third. In terms of the corresponding matrix groups,
For example, if preserves and , then
so preserves . If it preserves and , the second displayed identity shows that it preserves . Finally, is uniquely determined by , so preservation of and implies . The common intersection is therefore the unitary group.
The group of invertible linear maps preserving a nondegenerate Hermitian form over a quadratic finite field is, in an orthonormal basis, the displayed matrix group. Here denotes the size of the field on which the matrices act; some authors denote this same group by . Imposing determinant one gives the special unitary subgroup, and subsequently quotienting its scalar center gives the projective special unitary group over a finite field.